An Escape Come True
by P.D. Ellus
Summary: A high school student who's a big fan of the Harry Potter books is bullied every single day until something unexpected happens... SSOC
1. Default Chapter

-AN ESCAPE COME TRUE  
  
PROLOGUE   
  
The girl ran up the steps and walked through the big doors. The faint noise of mixed voices and laughter increased and decreased as she passed from one door to the other. She finally stopped in front of a grey door and took a deep breath before turning the handle.  
  
She was late again. It was getting harder to wake up so early every morning, when she spent over half the night crying herself to sleep.  
  
She walked in, avoiding making eye contact with all the faces staring at her. She quickly walked in between lines of mocking classmates already seated in their respective places. She took a seat in the back, where she usually could feel safer and hopefully would be forgotten and unnoticed until the end of the class.   
  
No such luck!  
  
The teacher eyed her reproachfully, "It's the third time this week, Gillian! I'm afraid I'm going to have to send a note to your parents!"  
  
She didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. That was usually her choice, not to speak would bring less humiliation.  
  
She started to get her books out of her backpack and could see in her sideway vision, Isabelle and her sidekick, Meagan, were laughing at her and probably plotting another way to torture her for the day. They were the " Popular cheerleaders ", which was so cliche that it was nauseating.   
  
She couldn't believe how seventeen-year-old girls could still be so immature. The guys were understandable, men were known to take longer to grow up, but what made almost grown women act like total dunderheads?  
  
"Gillian, I asked you a question! Your body seems to have arrived, but I think you must have left your brain at home!" said Mr. Hartlock, the math teacher. She used to smirk every time she heard his name. It reminded her of a character from her favorite book, even the vanity and stupidity was the same.   
  
The class broke into laughter at his remark and she wished she could dig a hole in the ground and disappear. "What is it Mr. Hartlock?"  
  
"I asked you to bring your homework to my desk," he answered in a tone someone uses to speak with a small child.  
  
She panicked. What homework? She didn't even remember him asking for homework last class. She not only hadn't done it, but while searching her backpack, she found out her math's book wasn't in it. How could she have forgotten it?  
  
"I don't have it, sir."  
  
He let out a long sigh while the class giggled and some of the guys threw crumpled paper on her hair. She couldn't understand why he never punished them for that or even told the class to stop laughing. He seemed to enjoy putting on that little show, using her to show he had authority. It was easy to pick on the weak ones or maybe the ugly ones... she knew she wasn't weak, but she also didn't have much help from the class or anybody, for that matter.   
  
As for being ugly, well, everything indicated that direction. She had had the misfortune of having a hair cut that didn't suit her, it was the kind of hair cut for people with straight hair. She had black wavy hair, so it curled in the wrong places, making it just plain ugly. She wore glasses, which gave her the geeky look and well, she didn't like anything about her face much. To complete everything, she wasn't what one could call thin. She wasn't fat either, but she had big thighs and hips. Someone could say she was curvy, but when they looked at the whole package, all they could see was a weird teenager who never got out of her awkward phase.  
  
Hartlock was enjoying the attention, specially from the girls. Why couldn't she have a teacher like Severus Snape, her favorite character in the book. At least no one would laugh in his class.  
  
"Then open your book on page thirty-four and go solve the problem number two on the blackboard." He wasn't even sure which exercise was that, but it sounded good to say it and the girls loved it when he was tough.  
  
"I don't have my book, sir," she said flinching, already anticipating their reaction.  
  
"Well, then you better ask someone to lend you a book later today, when you come to DETENTION!" He went back to his desk and stayed there conversing happily with the girls sitting at the front, while the rest of the class pretended to work on their exercise.   
  
The little group around the cheerleading air heads was still looking at her in a weird way, and she was almost afraid to think what they were planning for today. That was one of the reasons she could never concentrate much in class, she was always worried. Of course, she wasn't the best of students, she could never excel on anything, her grades were horrible and she never liked studying those things very much. The few subjects she enjoyed, she couldn't even work well on them, because she was always distracted and afraid.  
  
At home, her parents forced her to stay locked in her room studying to improve her grades, which made her rebel on that by not doing it, and instead, she read all books she could get her hands on. If there was a test on Harry Potter, she would have an A but the reality was that the Harry Potter world and literature wasn't the only subject at school.  
  
Every time she tried to explain to her parents what she went through at school, they would call her silly and whiny. They would tell her to ignore it, to grow up, and all the other stuff parents like to say. This made her wonder whatever happens to their school memories after they become parents. They don't remember what it is to be a teenager and having to go through a whole day in a world where appearances and popularity is everything. Being different means being a freak, not being beautiful, means being humiliated and reminded through every second of the day how awful and inadequate you look.  
  
Her mother obviously did not remember any of that or she wouldn't have forced her to go through the "pants humiliation" last school year. Gillian needed a new pair of jeans to go to schoo. Her mother had bought her a pair and apparently spent a lot of money in it. When Gillian put them on, they looked extremely awkward, the legs looked too large and wide, every time she moved, it seemed her legs were lost inside them. The material was stiff and it didn't move smoothly, making it look like she was wearing bells on her legs.  
  
When she tried telling her mother she didn't like it, the woman got mad and practically threatened her to wear it. She had to go to school every single day wearing those hideous pants. At some point, she couldn't stand it anymore, if her life was hell before the pants, it was unbearable after. So she started to hide her old jeans inside her backpack. Every time she got to school, she went to the restroom and changed it. And everyday when she arrived home, she would run to her bedroom before her mother could see her.  
  
That was working for a while, until one day her mother saw her coming down the street and noticed she wasn't wearing the outfit she left with. She got grounded and had her backpack searched everyday before leaving for school.   
  
It sounded bizarre just to think of the situation, but it was the way her life worked. Things seemed to get worse everyday.  
  
The sound of the bell brought her out of her thoughts and she breathed a sigh of relief. There was a game today, so the boys would play and she could escape for the library and read. When she tried to get up, her body pushed forward but something was holding her clothes back. Half the class along with the teacher had left, but her personal bullies were there waiting.   
  
To her horror, that was what they were waiting for, the whole time. She tried frantically to pull her shirt and pants out of the chair, but it wouldn't budge. They had put crazy glue on her seat. The laughs started to crowd her ears and soon enough she wasn't listening anymore, just a muffled buzz and the dizziness...  
  
She finally, after a lot of struggle, managed to pull herself out. The problem was that in order to get out, she got the back of her pants torn apart, leaving treads hanging and her knickers showing full view. She could see some of the boys literally rolling on the floor from laughing, the girls were looking at her in that disgusted way, she saw so many times on their faces and even though she couldn't listen anymore, she could see their mouths moving, forming the nicknames she dreaded and had to hear everyday.   
  
She grabbed her backpack clumsily, letting her Harry Potter book fall on floor only to have one of the girls pick it up and start throwing from one to the other. Calling her "Harry Potter freak."  
  
She retrieved the book and ran out of class, not bothering to hide her behind from anyone. The buzz in her year started to cease and she could hear them following her. "Hey freak, why don't you ask Harry Potter to fix your pants now?"  
  
"Hey why don't you get your wand and hex us?" another one said, and there were more laughs. This time the people who were in the hall were laughing too, so she got in the bathroom and locked herself in one of the stalls. The girls got in right behind her and started throwing toilet paper inside her stall. They were getting the trash bins and turning them on top of the stall and Gillian kept trying to protect herself from the dirty paper to fall on her head. She clutched her book and closed her eyes in between the tears. In a very small voice, she started to repeat, "Help, help, make all this go away..."  
  
At some point the trash bin hit her head and she cried out in pain opening her eyes to find everything completely dark. It was daytime and the bathroom had high large windows. How was that possible? She could make some forms in the darkness, which were probably the things they were throwing at her. She brought her hand to her forehead and felt a little sting at the touch. She was bleeding.  
  
She looked for the trash bin that hit her and found out it was a bucket, a wooden bucket? Amongst all the questions popping her panicked mind, she suddenly realized it was silent. The laughs and yelling were gone. She tried to find her book and it wasn't anywhere.   
  
She started to stand up again, terrified. Where the hell was she? She jumped at a scratching noise on the door and her heart started racing even faster. Then came the voice.  
  
"Is she there? Bloody students think they can fool me!"  
  
The door swung opened and the candle light invaded the stall. Gillian's mouth fell open looking from the man to where she was standing. It wasn't a stall, it was a closet. The reason for the scratching was a scrawny cat with yellow eyes and the voice belonged to none other than Argus Filch.  
  
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Reviews please! 


	2. Hogwarts, A reality

Disclaimer: I forgot to add the disclaimer in the prologue, so here it is and this goes for all chapters to come - It's not mine, all JKR's, except for the OCs. No money being made.  
  
-AN ESCAPE COME TRUE  
  
CHAPTER 1: Hogwarts, A Reality.  
  
Reality hit her full force and she wasn't quite sure how to take it. If anybody asked her how would she like to be in the Harry Potter world, she would say "Hell yes!" in a heartbeat, but that was not the same thing as it actually happening. No one never stops to think about it really happening, because no one expects it to happen. So the question about the reality of it, it's not even pondered.  
  
Nothing one can imagine or fabricate in their fantasies can be compared to the utter reality of it. To stand in one of Hogwarts hallways, looking at Filch was nowhere near the point of view from one reading it. To think that this was a dream was also out of the question. Dreams are not like that. At least not her dreams and it was easier to think that she had gone crazy and was hallucinating.   
  
That actually wasn't so hard to imagine, considering what she went through everyday, the idea of going crazy looked very plausible. But was she? If her brain had found its own way to escape her nightmare of a life and created this whole charade, would it look so real? It was intriguing that the image the book had given her of this world was another one entirely. She imagined things and places to be arranged differently. She imagined Filch differently too and even though she knew it was him, he wasn't at all what she pictured. In fact, he was a lot scarier and dirtier. She had never stopped to think of what would be like to see a man like Filch this close. She didn't think anybody did and it was terrifying actually.  
  
But if everything was so different from what she had imagined, then it couldn't be a creation from her own brain. And if it wasn't.... then this was really happening!  
  
"I'm talking to you girl!" Filch spat impatiently and she was pulled out of her thoughts.  
  
She looked at him inquisitively but couldn't bring herself to form a reply. The cat was staring at her intently and knowingly. It was creepy, she never thought a cat could intimidate anyone but Mrs. Norris could. Its yellow lamp-like eyes were almost glowing and it had a strange quality to her, a quality that probably all magical animals had. It was almost like its aura was palpable.  
  
Filch went on. "What house are you from? I'm taking you to your head of house right now!"  
  
What house was she from? How would she know? She wasn't even magical... what would they do to her?  
  
"I... I don't know," she said staring at Filch's rotten teeth in disgust as he sneered at her. The man's face was thin and bony and his eyes really looked like Mrs Norris'. He smelled of a mix of cheap whiskey and grass and his long dark grey hair was greasier than Snape's.  
  
Snape! How would Snape really look like? Oh God, she would meet Snape!   
  
In the middle of that realization, she felt Filch's hands close in her arm and drag her through the hallway. She decided to let herself be dragged wherever he was taking her. It wasn't as if she had much of a choice.  
  
As she walked along the man, she was amazed at how dark and gloomy the castle was. It didn't have that magical golden shine she saw in the movies. It was dark, cold and menacing. The yellow light of the candles cast eerie shadows over the walls and the paintings were even more unsettling than any other thing. The usual feeling one gets when a painting follows them throughout a room didn't even begin to describe what it felt like being watched by moving paintings in a dark hallway. They cast their cold eyes on her as their face remained hauntingly impassive, and somehow aloof. They didn't seem happy and fun as she thought they would.   
  
She didn't have time to analyze much on that because Filch muttered something she couldn't recognize at first, but when she found herself in front of the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office, she knew he had said the password. The thing made a noise more like a brick wall collapsing and they climbed the moving stairs.  
  
Nothing, no movie or book description could have prepared her to what Dumbledore's office looked like. Yes it was dark and gloomy as the rest of the castle, but it had so much detail. It was a cluttered room, the walls couldn't be seen on account of so many paintings and strange devices. The sleeping headmasters in the paintings were loud, they snored and sighed and made all those sleeping noises that when put together in one room was a little overwhelming. The furniture was extremely dark and heavy, very traditional with leather upholstered chairs and shelves covered with books. Her eyes searched the room and eventually fell on Dumbledore, who sat behind his desk watching her every move intensely.  
  
'What is with these people and their eyes?' she thought feeling uncomfortable for being scrutinized by Dumbledore's blue twinkling eyes.  
  
He looked old and frail but his eyes betrayed his appearance. They had vitality and wit, it was like looking into a strong young man's eyes, only with a lot of wisdom added to them. It was a strange combination and it made him unique. That was probably what the book meant by him having a warm and friendly nature. He would be considered very stern if it wasn't for his eyes.  
  
"Headmaster, this student was hiding in a closet after curfew and she refuses to tell me what house she's in!" Filch said finally letting go of her arm.  
  
"Very well, Argus. Thank you, you can leave that to me now," Dumbledore said in a dismissing voice and Filch left without questioning.  
  
He looked at the young woman standing in front of him gave her a warm smile. She smiled shyly, still shocked with the fact that she was standing in front of Dumbledore.   
  
"Please do sit down, Miss...?" he asked pointing to the chair across from him.  
  
"Field... Gillian Field," she said in a small trembling voice.  
  
"Ah, Miss Field, why don't you start by telling me how you were able to find your way into Hogwarts?"  
  
She looked at him a little confused at the straight forwardness of his question, but intimately she felt a little amused at how this was exactly like Dumbledore to know everything just by giving it a simple look. She took a deep breath and started to relate everything that happened to her since she arrived her school that morning.  
  
.................................................................  
  
"So when I opened my eyes I was inside that broom closet where Mr. Filch found me," she finished.  
  
Dumbledore reclined in his chair gazing at no particular place, deep in thought, as she waited anxiously, hoping he would have an explanation for that. After all he was Dumbledore.  
  
"It's curious... sometimes I think Hogwarts has a life of its own..." he said almost to himself and she stared at him more confused than before.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, I have no idea of what you're talking about," she said.  
  
"Well, it has happened before, one of our finest students happened to have landed here the same way you did. Great distress can usually bring one's magic to the surface," he said turning his gaze back to her.  
  
"But I have no magic, how could I have wished myself here? I'm a muggle... I can't be a student like everybody else."  
  
"Oh, magic can manifest itself in different ways and intensities. Sometimes a person can go through life and never know the power they possess. Fear and despair can amount to things one can never expect." He smiled at her and continued, "Haven't you ever heard of miracles and people refer to amazing recoveries form illnesses as simple strength of will?"  
  
She nodded in the realization that many things were indeed considered miracles and in truth they could easily be just the magical part of people acting under great stress. "So if this is true, than everyone has magic in them?"   
  
"Indeed, some have more than others, but everyone can bring the magic about if they only know how to apply their minds to it. Unfortunately not all muggles know how to do it and just a few, in extremely stressful situations, can bring that out. And once it's out it can be used, but muggles have no knowledge or control over it, which makes them scared. Without the proper training, it dissipates." He paused seeing her eyes bursting with questions. "You see, the same way the mind can bring your magic out, it can shut it down by refusing to believe or accept it. You came here because you wanted to, and in that moment you applied all your strength to it and your magic manifested. The curious part though, is that with all the wards we have at Hogwarts, you could still break your way through. That alone makes me believe that the magic within these walls has its own intelligence and it knows who it lets in."  
  
She was speechless and not because she thought that was insane, but because it all made sense.   
  
"I believe that since you're here, we might as well, get you sorted," he said standing up and getting an old hat from the bookcase.  
  
"The sorting hat," she said with an amazed smile that faded as she realized she was going to be sorted. "I... I don't think I belong in any of the houses."  
  
Dumbledore looked curiously at her. "Why is it you think that?"  
  
She looked at her knees trying to find the right way to explain and feeling a little embarrassed to admit that she didn't have any of the noble traits of the four houses. "I know for a fact that I'm not a Gryffindor, for I lack their courage and boldness. I am not cunning and subtle as Slytherins and honestly I don't think I would survive living with Slytherin students, the thought freaks me out... I am definitely not a good student, which makes Ravenclaw out of the question and although I can be loyal, I am not a hard worker to be a Hufflepuff."  
  
Dumbledore stared quietly at her with an expression she couldn't decipher.  
  
"My dear, I know one thing about you already," he said playfully.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have a lot to learn. You see, the sorting of houses is not about superficial traits or feelings. It's not about circumstances in which you were led to do things in a certain way... the world around us imposes itself into us and it alters our attitudes, our disposition and even our courage. The sorting hat doesn't choose based in your behavior or attitudes. It goes deep within yourself and it captures the real person underneath that mass of fear and uncertainty. I think you will be surprised at what you can accomplish."  
  
She was rendered speechless again. That was no arguing Dumbledore's point. He had the ability to make things clear as day with just a few words.  
  
He placed the hat on her head and she closed her eyes waiting to hear the verdict.  
  
The hat felt heavy and it moved slightly as it spoke, tickling her forehead. "Hmm that's easy... Ravenclaw!"  
  
She opened her eyes and grinned. She never thought she would be a Ravenclaw, she was a book worm but not for studying. It was a also a big responsibility, she would be expected to be the best and she had no idea how.   
  
"All done, I'll ask the Head girl to take you to your dormitory, she'll show you how everything works and you can tell everyone you were transferred from the Wizarding School from America. I believe that's where you're from, judging by you accent," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Sir, I'm going to be 18 in three months and I don't know a thing about magic, do I have to start with the first years? And what about books and a wand? Oh no! I have no money!" She was starting to panic.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled and patted her on the back. "You don't have to worry about that, we'll discuss all that tomorrow."  
  
After Dumbledore called the head girl, she got there in less than five minutes and took Gillian to the Ravenclaw dormitory. On the way she remembered she had forgot to ask Dumbledore two questions. Why he didn't seem surprised when she mentioned the Harry Potter books and who was the student who had been through the same thing she did?   
  
Her mind was swimming in more and more questions by the time she arrived the dormitory, but that would have to wait until the next morning. She would have a big day ahead of her and her only hope was that when she woke up in the morning she would still be in Hogwarts.  
  
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A/N: Thanks to -   
  
Scary Person - Ok so I could lie to you and say I didn't model Gillian after myself and you would continue reading? LOL The truth is when I write an OC, I base it on a lot of people and situations. If I tell you there isn't a little bit of me in there, I would be lying. I was an outcast at my school days as I believe many people were, but no I didn't have my pants torn in public. You see, the reason I love Snape so much is because I know what it is to be bullied at school and I identify with him a lot. Gillian is not me but she is a lot of people I've met and she has feelings based on feelings I had. I guess any author puts a little of themselves in their character, JKR admitted Hermione was based on herself as a kid. I also based this character on a girl I saw in a movie called "Welcome to the doll house" Anyway thanks for reading and if you choose to stop it I understand.  
  
Helen88UK - Thanks for reviewing, I'll take a look at your fics as soon as I can :)  
  
Happynutcase - Thanks I'm glad you like it, I know, I know... I am an insufferable Snape fan, what can I do? LOL And yes you're right, I got the name Bethany from Dogma. You will find that all my fics have a thing here and there from Alan Rickman's movies.  
  
Quidditch-Gal - Thanks!  
  
SammyBlack80 - Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!  
  
Snape's Secrets - Thank you so much, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!  
  
moviebuff101 - Thank you!  
  
Mercurial1 - Thank you! 


	3. The first day

A/N : Well, this chapter is more of an information chapter, I'm trying to portray the feel of Hogwarts through Gillian's eyes. Next chapter we'll have more action. So bear with me!  
  
-AN ESCAPE COME TRUE  
  
CHAPTER 2: The first day  
  
Gillian woke up to with a start, looking around with her heart beating so fast she thought it was going to jump right out of her chest. After realizing she was still there, she felt a rush of relief and leaned against the headboard of her bed.  
  
She had been afraid to fall asleep, thinking she would be back when she woke up, but fortunately she was in Ravenclaw's dorm room. It was all still sinking in and she felt like at any moment, she would be taken away from all that and be back to her awful life. She shuddered at the thought and gazed out of the blue curtains surrounding her four poster bed. All the other girls were still sleeping. She wondered what time it was and thought it was probably early morning. Deciding to go ahead and get ready, she slipped out of bed and opened her curtains. The room was half dark and her eyes were thankfully adjusted to it.   
  
She remembered the events of last night with a smile. The head girl was none other than Padma Patil, Parvati's twin sister. Gillian didn't really take notice of who she was at first, she was so taken by everything that she barely looked at the girl. It was only when Padma introduced herself that she really looked at her. Padma was tall and skinny, her eyes were dark and expressive, and her braided black hair went all the way down to her waist. Her skin was dark as Gillian had imagined in the book.  
  
They headed for Ravenclaw tower, on the west side of the castle. The halls looked a lot alike, and she wondered how she would be able to find her way in there. She had climbed a couple of stairs, making a few turns and had no idea where she was or how to go back. Not to mention the moving stairs, she had a feeling she was going to get caught in them just like Neville Longbottom. When she thought her lungs were going to burst, after walking for what seemed like forever in that huge place, they stopped in front of a large portrait. A blonde lady, holding a basket of blue flowers was snoring loudly, sitting on a cut tree trunk. When Padma said the password, she just stirred a bit, but continued in her deep sleep.  
  
"FLOBBERWORM!" Padma yelled this time.  
  
The blond lady jumped, dropping her basket and scattering the flowers around her. With a indignant look, she opened the entrance to the common room. The place was deserted because it was late, but Padma took the time to explain to her where everything was. While she did, Gillian walked slowly looking at everything, excitement building up by the second. There was a huge stone fireplace on one side, with a tapestry showing the symbol of the house over the mantel. There was no fire burning and the light was very dim. In front of it, she saw a comfortable looking sofa in blue and bronze colors and two wooden tables rounded with chairs, for study, on opposite corners of the room. There were large windows trailing the walls, showing the starry night outside of the castle. What wasn't covered by a window, was covered by more portraits and tapestries. The floor was made of stone as was everything in the whole place, but it was mostly covered by detailed oriental rugs with the predominant blue and bronze colors. There were two stairways, also in opposite sides, facing each other from across the room.   
  
Padma explained the one on the left was the boys' dormitory and obviously the one on the right was the girls'. They climbed the stairs, and Gillian was taken to the seventh year's dorm.   
  
Padma showed her bed and asked her to wait there, she sat quietly, trying not to wake the other occupants of the room. Minutes later Padma returned with a school robe as well as the complete Ravenclaw uniform, and a night shirt. She instructed her to go to the Great Hall in the morning and she would later take her back to the Headmaster's office.   
  
Gillian was happy she knew most of the routine that went on the school, because of the books, but she hadn't realized how little she knew of her surroundings, being there for real.  
  
Gillian was brought back from her musings once she stepped in the bathroom, clutching her uniform. She took a quick shower and got dressed. It was interesting how the clothes seemed large and awkward, and she was sure it wouldn't fit, but as she put it on, she felt the clothes instantly adjusting around her body.   
  
She looked at herself in the mirror and loosed her tie a bit, she wasn't used to those things and it really annoyed her to have something tucked around her neck. She put her dark framed glasses back and looked at her hair with a frown. What was she going to do about that mop? She found herself thinking she'd rather have Hermione's bushy hair, than that thing she used to call hair. She tied it in a tight pony tail, that way no one could see how horrid it really was, at least until it grew more and she could so something about it.  
  
She left the bath to find the other roommates already up and looking curiously at her. She decided she would have to introduce herself and tell the story Dumbledore told her to. To her surprise the girls weren't half as bad as her old school acquaintances, but she could tell by the way they looked at her, that they thought she was strange. Of course it wouldn't be different here. No matter where she went, she was still the same. She was Gillian, the weird one.  
  
The only difference here was that she could hex them now. She smirked at the thought and followed the other students to the Great Hall. As she neared it, the thought of seeing Professor Snape got ahold of her and she could feel her anxiety increasing at a screaming rate. She hadn't seen almost any of the staff, but she would today and she was truly scared.   
  
The students were coming from every part of the castle, carrying their backpacks and talking happily. Gillian was just amazed by everything, the portraits still freaked her out, it was like being constantly watched and it would take time for her to adjust to that.   
  
The smell of the castle was something she hadn't thought about before, it smelled ancient... it smelled of dark dank places. If this was how it smelled up here, she couldn't begin to imagine the dungeons. It wasn't bad really, but it wasn't what she expected either. She supposed one got used to it after some time.   
  
The Great Hall on the other hand, had a pleasant food smell and as she walked through the great doors, her jaw literarily dropped. It was huge and very bright too, the enchanted ceiling wasn't like she had seen in the movie, it sort of had an infinite depth to it, like there weren't borders... although she knew the walls stopped when the illusion of the sky began, try as she might, she couldn't see where it started. It was like the magic didn't allow her eyes to focus on it. Very strange.   
  
She scanned the room and found the Ravenclaw table. She walked slowly and a little self-conscious, as the others started to notice she was a new student. After she sat, the first thing she did was look at the head table. The long wooden table had a few professors along with Dumbledore. She saw an older woman with a tight bun and small glasses who was wearing dark plum robes and from that distance and the ugly hat, she could tell it was McGonagall. She didn't look anything like Maggie Smith, but then again she knew no one would look like the actors in the movie.  
  
She saw a tiny old man with wild white hair and a pointed nose. 'Duh,' she thought. 'Flitwick, of course!'  
  
Looking further she saw another old woman who was frowning and looking at her own plate. She was dressed in grey robes and had a grey crooked hat. It was probably Madam Pince. Looking along the rest of the table, she saw no one else. Professor Snape wasn't there and she was utterly disappointed. She really didn't know what to expect really, it was a little scary to imagine Snape as described in the book and not be a little uneasy. The reality of it was that she was terrified, now that she thought about it.   
  
The food magically appeared in front of her and she noticed it had a little sound to it, almost imperceptible, but every time a plate appeared on the table, she could hear this sound. It was indescribable, but she realized, all magic had a different sound.   
  
While eating, Gillian tried to see if she could recognize anyone, but it was hard with that many people in one room. She saw lots of faces but they meant nothing to her. At some point, when she was finishing her breakfast, she saw some students leaving the Slytherin table and she let out a snort at the sight of three boys in their seventeens. Two of them were chubby and ugly, but mostly they had that glazed look in their eyes, the kind of brainless look she had seen in some of the students in her school. She could tell an idiot from miles away. Walking in the middle of the two, she could see a tall blonde boy, when he gazed in her direction, she saw the long pointed face and the snob demeanor. Malfoy and his croonies . She couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Draco Malfoy was not good looking at all and he was so frail for a boy his age, that one could knock him out with a simple push.  
  
"No wonder he needs those two monkeys around him," she said, realizing she was talking to herself and could feel the looks from the others in her table. If she stopped to think, she would have perceived that no one had attempted to talk to her, and sat very far, which was no surprise, but she wasn't willing to think about it and was glad to see Padma standing behind her.  
  
"Are you ready to go see Professor Dumbledore?" Padma asked.  
  
"Sure," Gillian said already getting up.  
  
The two girls walked the long Hallway, until they were facing the gargoyles again. In minutes she was sitting in front of Dumbledore and Flitwick.  
  
"Good morning Miss Field, I trust you were able to sleep well?" Dumbledore inquired with a warm smile.   
  
She immediately smiled back, it was impossible not to, the man had a knack to make others comfortable when he wanted to.   
  
"Yes sir," she answered and looked at Flitwick.   
  
He was even tinier than she thought and was surprised to see that his voice not only was squeaky, but it was loud and too cheery for her to bear. He was a strange looking man and she was having too much fun imagining how the other teachers would look like.  
  
"Hello Miss Field, it's a pleasure to meet you and to have you at Ravenclaw!" squeaked Flitwick.  
  
"Thank you sir," she said shortly. She wasn't much of a talker, she usually observed a lot but said very little.  
  
"Well Miss Field, Professor Flitwick here is your Head of House and he, as well as all Professors, are aware of your... situation. So he'll provide you with one of the spare wands we keep at the school in case of emergencies. This sort of wand is not made specifically for one person, which makes it possible for anyone to use them. However, they're not very effective. You will practice with one until we feel you're ready to get your own wand at Diagon Alley." Dumbledore stood up and got a parchment from one of the shelves near his desk.  
  
"This is a permission for your scholarship. It's not common for Hogwarts to provide such scholarships, but it has been done before. You'll have all the money you need to finish your education and support you with your books and needs. You'll have a vault at Gringots in your name. Any questions?" He finished and reclined in his chair studying her with twinkly eyes.  
  
"Thank you so much sir, I don't know what to say..."  
  
"You already thanked me and that's all you need to say," he said. "You probably need to buy yourself clothes and personal things, so I'll ask Minerva to accompany you to Hogsmeade tomorrow."  
  
She couldn't believe this was happening! She was waiting for the catch. She wasn't that lucky...  
  
"Sir, How am I going to follow the classes? I am way behind and that's really an understatement," she asked.  
  
"The Professors know that, and will provide you with all that's necessary for you to follow the classes. Also you'll need tutoring, which I think Miss Granger is perfect for the job." He stood up and she had a feeling she was being dismissed.  
  
Dumbledore told Flitwick to provide with her wand and the schedule for her classes.  
  
To her absolute panic, Advanced Double Potions was her first class and she knew how unfair Snape could be. She doubted that he would be condescending with her. Not Snape. And this was an advanced class, how on earth would she follow it?At the same time she couldn't help being elated to meet the one character she admired most in this magic world.   
  
She followed Flitwick's directions to get to the dungeons and thankfully it wasn't that hard. She climbed down the stairs into a dark corridor. It was narrow and more rustic than the rest of the castle. There were no portraits or anything but a few torches along the wall, which made weird shadows throughout the way. She was glad to see some students wearing the blue and bronze ties standing in front of a wooden door. She also saw some Hufflepuffs leaning against the wall.   
  
She sighed and did the same. Nobody seemed to notice her there and she was happy that way, better ignored than humiliated.   
  
A barely audible click sounded at the door and it slowly opened with a creepy creak.  
  
The students proceeded to enter and take their seats. She waited to see where the Ravenclaws would sit and took one of the seats in the back. She settled in front of a cauldron, putting down the parchment and quill her Head of House had given her.  
  
She gazed to the dais where Snape's desk was located. He wasn't there yet, so she took the time to look at the rest of the room. It was so much darker than she had imagined. The room smelled of rotten wood and herbs, very unpleasant. The table and bench in which she was seated was made of very dark wood, but it wasn't polished as the ones in the Great Hall, they were dull and opaque, with dark stains of prossible spilled potions. She saw Padma and a red haired girl walk into the room and sit together near the front. Padma looked back at her and gave her a light smile, before she turned back to her cauldron.  
  
It wasn't long before the class was filled and the door closed slowly with a similar click. She could feel butterflies in her stomach by now, and kept looking at the door, waiting for Snape to burst in dramatically at any moment.   
  
She heard the a noise coming from another door on the far right side of the room, near the dais. It flew open and the murmur from the students ceased immediately, she could feel the tension around her. It felt as if a cold cloud had descended on their heads. She shuddered uncomfortably and was absolutely terrified when he walked in.  
  
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Thanks :  
  
vizzy-vicky-lou - Thank you so much I hope you like this chapter as well!  
  
Jojo - ya come to think of it, it's my dream too LOL yum to meet Snape LOL anyway, thank you for reviewing!  
  
harryptaxd204 - Thanks!  
  
FabioandtheDuck - Thank you so much, I'm happy you enjoyed the details and all. I'm hoping to show it as real as possible.  
  
Jessalin - Thank you for reviewing and well, all those questions will be answered with time. As for Snape, well it depends on who your parents friends are LOL I would love if my parents had friends like him ;-)  
  
moviebuff101 - Thank you!  
  
Mercurial1 - Thank you so much for reviewing. She was found in a broom closet but not in the dungeons. About the castle, my vision of a medieval castle is dark and gloomy even during the day. These places are normally dark. Ya I thought Ravenclaw would be different but it doesn't keep her from meeting the trio. And yes, Snape is her goal from the beginning ;-) 


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